


Bound to You (Never Letting Go)

by Phoebe_Snow



Series: Perfection Never Looked So Good [3]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Car Accidents, Death, Depression, Drama, Dream Sex, Dreamsharing, F/M, Family Loss, First Meetings, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending, Heartbeats, Kissing, Kissing the hand, Love, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Passion, Realization, Sexual Content, Slice of Life, Soul mate, Theater - Freeform, Touching, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2016-10-05
Packaged: 2018-08-19 13:15:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8209889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Phoebe_Snow/pseuds/Phoebe_Snow
Summary: When Natasha's eyes finally locked with Steve's, she just knew. An explosion of color dominated her vision and Natasha realized that she had just found him. Her dream lover. Her perfect partner. Her soul mate. After talking to him for hours in the corner of a dark movie theater, no less.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WinterXAssassin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterXAssassin/gifts), [xo_stardust720](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xo_stardust720/gifts).



> Yes, I have written another soul mate story! I've become a bit addicted to them now! This fic was inspired by the musical piece 'Greg Falls for Rose' from the film The Mirror Has Two Faces and 'Some Enchanted Evening' by Ezio Pinza. I'd highly suggest listening to these pieces of music before or while you read this story. It'll make it come alive a lot more.❤️

* * *

 

 

 

Every human being on earth had a soul mate, but until they found their soul mate, their vision would be in dull black and white. Once someone locked gazes with their soul mate, the black and white would wash away and be replaced by a dazzling array of colour. There was a unique bond that instantly developed between both persons when this happened. This way, every person in the world would know they'd met the perfect mate who they were meant to be with for the rest of their lives.

  
   
There were many who tried to measure a soul mate's energy or estimate when it was possible for one to find or meet their soul mate. These efforts always ended in futility. Fate and destiny was in charge of the red string that tied two souls and it ultimately decided when to bring them together. Nothing that man attempted would give the power to affect it.

   
At some point in every person's life, they'd feel a tug, a calling from the depths of their soul, speaking to them and telling them to find their perfect mate. This pull was irresistible for any human to resist and they would not be able to stop searching until they cast their eyes upon their soul mate. It also usually occurred whenever two soul mates were in close vicinity to each other.

 

Sometimes people tried to find their soul mate due to impatience, which seldom brought about good results and mostly, bad ones. Such behaviour was unwise because in the personal search for one's soul mate, it was highly possible to accidentally miss one's true soul mate and indirectly postpone their meeting.

 

Regardless of the possible heartache that awaited her, Natasha chose to search for her soul mate anyway. She wasn't the kind of woman who liked to sit around waiting for her destiny to find her. Unlike some people, she believed in taking charge of her life and being proactive.

 

Granted, this was an unpopular way to live life and many of her friends and family either disapproved of her decision or didn't feel the same way. That was fine, of course, but Natasha wasn't going to be idle and just hope that one day, she would meet her soul mate and her colorless, gray life would be finished.

 

Perhaps it was a little selfish of her, but she hated gray. It was such a plain, hopeless thing and waking up every morning and going to bed every night always held a sense of dread for her. Natasha wanted color; she needed color, so she decided to go 'hunting' as her best friend and roommate, Wanda liked to call it.

 

Call her crazy, but Natasha had scoured the news and the internet as well to find some tips or insight from people for how they met their soul mate. There wasn't much that she could get on that angle, but she was determined. No way fate was going to give her a waiting period for her soul mate. 

 

At least, that's what she said back then. Nearly a year of searching had passed and she'd come up with nothing good, which sobered a lot of her determination. Slowly, she was beginning to realize that seek and ye shall find was not applicable to soul mates. Maybe waiting was a better option...

 

Natasha told her roommates of her troubles, desperate for some advice concerning her situation. "I've found a lot of stories that talk about how great it is having a soul mate and knowing who it is, but virtually nothing about how to find them. It's so frustrating!"

 

Pepper had pursed her lips together and placed a caring hand on Natasha. "I get what you're saying, Nat, but you can't really expect there to be some kind of life hack to finding your soul mate, can you?"

 

"Why not? There's hacks for everything else," came the redhead's flippant reply.

 

"Honey, it's not that simple. Finding a soul mate has always been a biological thing. It's inherent in all of us because that's the way we were born. When the right time for you to meet your soul mate comes, you'll know."

 

Natasha scoffed and ran a hand through her hair. She knew that Pepper had a point, but it was painful to accept. "Well, he'd better hurry up and get in my life soon because gray is a depressing color."

 

Wanda stared at her friend as if she'd said something foul. "Um...I sincerely hope that you're not just trying to find your soul mate so you can have color in your life."

 

Natasha just grinned.

 

"Really! Natasha, I can't believe you'd be so shallow!" The maternal was just oozing out of Pepper's voice and it made Natasha feel a tad guilty.

 

"Well, come on, Pepper! Not everyone meets their soul mates because they're obsessed with finding their own true love. Sometimes this colorless thing gets to be a bore. You know what that's like. Four years ago, you almost said the same thing to me before you met Tony."

 

"Eh, she does have a point, Pep, " said Wanda. "You **were** pretty down on life until Tony showed up. I don't approve of her using that as an excuse," at this she gave Natasha a glare which the redhead just rolled her eyes at, "but she isn't wrong."

 

Pepper nodded and sighed. "I know. Those days were pretty dark for me back then..."

 

Moments passed before Natasha quietly spoke. "For the record, I wasn't making an excuse for myself. I was comparing our situations. Now, I'm not gonna lie. Finding my soul mate would be a tremendous relief because, once we meet, I could finally see color, which would help me a lot whenever I have to buy new clothes."

 

Coming from anyone else, this would sound very pathetic, but Natasha had a point behind everything she said.

 

"Every time I go shopping for clothes, I have to take a salesgirl with me to the dressing room and have her tell me what clothes match and go well together. I know a lot of people do that when they go shopping, but that's humiliating for me! I think it's completely unfair that I have to wait for fate to get off its lazy ass and put a soul mate in my path."

 

Huffing in annoyance, Natasha picked up her phone and started going through her pictures. Wanda and Pepper looked at each other and then, at Natasha. They could tell that she had something more to say, so they waited for her to speak.

 

After a few minutes of looking at her phone, Natasha sighed and turned it off. "I'm not saying that's the only reason I want to meet my soul mate. Having color in my life would help a lot when considering my wardrobe, but that's not all. I want what you guys have."

 

"Pepper, even though Tony gets on your nerves sometimes, you're animated because of him. For a long time, you were a workaholic and rarely had time for anything fun, but then he came into your life and taught you how to breathe and take time off for yourself. His jokes are terrible, but they always make you laugh."

 

She crossed her legs underneath her body and smiled at Wanda. "And you, Wanda. After Pietro died in that awful car accident, you became a shell of your former self. You were always on the defensive and you blamed yourself for his death. Then you met Bucky and he got you to let down your walls and encouraged you to forgive yourself. Every time he calls you 'doll', you light up and the room fills with energy."

 

Tears began to run down her cheeks and Natasha let them. This was probably the most real she'd ever been in years. It wasn't easy for her to be so raw and honest, but these women were her closest friends. If she couldn't be herself with them, who could she?

 

"You guys have your soul mates and I'm happy for you, but I'm just so **sick** of being alone. I'm sick of waking up to an empty bed every morning and I'm sick of not having a warm body to hold every night. The only thing keeping me sane right now is actively pursuing my soul mate. I know it's stupid because I must have looked into a thousand men's eyes at this point, and I'll likely never meet him that way, but it keeps me occupied."

 

What Natasha described wasn't a remark of envy, as some might think. It was a sincere yearning for love, and that was a feeling her two friends understood very well. Pepper sat beside Natasha and let her rest her head on her shoulder while Wanda rubbed her back soothingly.

 

"It's okay, Nat. We know how it feels," said Pepper gently. "Wanda and I have been down this road many times before and you know that. I know you think it's helping, but really, it's keeping your worries of finding your soul mate at the forefront. This quest to find your soul mate will just end up making you bitter and scared."

 

Wanda wiped the tears from Natasha's cheeks and squeezed her hand. "She's right. As much as you want to find your soul mate, you have to wait on him. Very few people have found their soul mate by going out and looking for them, and if they did, it was by chance. I get why you want to do this, but it's not healthy. You need to find something else to distract you from thinking about your soul mate all the time."

 

What they were saying was true and Natasha listened to every word carefully. She knew that they were right. The more she searched, the more disheartened she felt about finding her soul mate. Maybe the best thing was to let it go for now.

 

It could be that he was right around the corner and she didn't even know. Letting herself become distracted by looking for her soul mate may have distracted her from the real deal. If anything, that would be worse than a fruitless search.

 

"I guess you're right, but what else am I supposed to do to occupy my time?"

 

"Ooo! I have an idea! Stay here! I'll be right back!" Wanda ran off to her room in a hurry.

 

Pepper and Natasha watched her curiously.

 

"She's probably going to bring back a bunch of books about diy scrapbooking and knitting, isn't she?"

 

Pepper smiled awkwardly. "You can count on that. She did the same thing for me before I met Tony, remember? Before he showed up, I made twenty-three scrapbooks and thirteen knitted blankets." The blonde stood up and patted her friend's back. "Good luck with that." Then she left the room.

 

Natasha sighed. Today was going to be a long day.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Every night, Natasha dreamed about him. The dreams were always detailed, vivid and deeply erotic. Every night she woke from an intense dream with him in it, she'd feel the sheen of perspiration on her face, panting heavily. Sleep became a way of release for her because of this.

 

In her dreams, Natasha could see her soul mate, but not his face. It was always conveniently blurred so she didn't know who he was. He would stand in front of her and cup her face in his strong hands, holding her as if she were a precious jewel. Tentatively, he'd lean down and kiss her, tasting her and exploring her softly before becoming more assertive with his ministrations.

 

The clothes fell from her skin and he kissed every inch of her that he saw: her nose, her breasts, her stomach, her lower lips. Every kiss sent Natasha's senses reeling and she'd tug him closer to her, wanting more of his hands on her. She was obsessed with his touch and she couldn't get enough.

 

Her soul mate would gently deposit her on the bed and remove his clothing, watching her carefully, taking in her naked body. Natasha could sense how aroused he was by the heaving of his chest and the hardness of his shaft. It always gave her a thrill of pleasure knowing that he wanted her so much.

 

Once he took off his clothes, he crawled onto the mattress and skim his hands over the valleys and peaks of her body, caressing and stroking her in her most intimate places so achingly slow that it'd bring her to climax.

 

Then he would give her a few seconds to catch her breath before positioning himself above her and pushing his way into her body. Somehow, he knew just where she like to be touched and his hands fondled her with adoration as he continued to push his hips against hers again and again.

 

These dreams would come to Natasha every single night she went to sleep and it was all she could do to stay sane after waking up. For a long time, she yearned to know what it would feel like to make love with her soul mate for real.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Hey, Nat? I was wondering..."

 

"Hm?"

 

Wanda played with the hem of her t shirt. What she had to say wasn't meant to be an intervention, but after the talk the girls had last week, Wanda wondered if maybe she couldn't help her best friend a bit. "Um, I was wondering if...maybe you'd like to come hang out with me and Bucky tonight. We're going to see the new Godzilla movie and I know you love those films."

 

Natasha looked up from her scrapbook - who would have thought that she'd actually have a knack for this kind of thing? - and stared at Wanda. That was definitely a strange offer coming from her. Wanda never asked her to spend time with she and Bucky before. "Well, yeah. I was gonna go see it, but...you want me to go with you guys? Wouldn't I be butting in on your date?"

 

"Oh, no! Bucky said that he wanted to invite you to come out with us. He knows you like Godzilla movies too, so he decided to extend an invitation to you. If you want."

 

The redhead cocked her head to the side and thought for a moment. Well, it wasn't like she had anything better to do. If she said no, what would she end up doing? Watch reruns of Real Housewives of New Jersey, eat a couple pints of Dairyless Ben and Jerry's and drink a six pack of organic root beer all by herself. Kind of a boring way to spend your evening.

 

Her mind made up, Natasha put the scrapbook on the coffe table in front of her and stood up. "Why not? Sure. It's better than the alternative, but tell him that I'll buy the drinks. I have to contribute in some way since I'm being the third wheel tonight."

 

As she made her way to her room to change, Natasha hummed to herself. If she hadn't been humming, she wouldn't have missed hearing Wanda whisper, _"More like a fourth wheel,"_ as she left the living room.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"Did you tell her yet?"

 

"No."

 

" _Wanda!_ I asked you to!"

 

"Shh! She'll hear you!" Wanda glared at Bucky and glanced over at Natasha, who was currently standing in line to buy drinks. The brunette took him by the arm and pulled him over to a concealed space by the wall. "I don't think this is a good idea."

 

Bucky made a 'tsk' sound and waved his hand. "Doll, it's no big deal. You were the one who told me that Natasha needed to have some fun, so I decided to invite Steve to join us here. What could be so wrong with that?"

 

"What's wrong is Natasha doesn't need to have a meaningless fling with one of your friends when she has a soul mate out there waiting for her!"

 

"Oh, man. This again? Wanda, look, I understand where you're coming from. I do. But sometimes you need to just let go and allow yourself to have enjoy the company of someone else, soul mate or not."

 

"That's a betrayal!" Wanda scowled at him.

 

"No, it's not. Not if you haven't already met and established a bond with your soul mate, it isn't." Bucky rubbed his forehead and looked down at his watch. It was twelve minutes to six. Add that to the extra minutes of film and television commercials and ads before the film showed - honestly, going to the theater these days was like watching a movie on YouTube - Steve had roughly thirty minutes or so to get here before Godzilla started.

 

"Babe, I know more than anyone that waiting for your soul mate is important, but spending time with other people isn't a crime. I'm not saying that Natasha has to **sleep** with Steve, but maybe she could relax and be friends with him. He's a nice guy, alright? He pays his taxes on time, he has a steady job, he works out regularly, he calls his ma every Saturday. I'm telling you, he's my best friend and he's a great person to be around."

 

Wanda grumbled and looked over at Natasha again. The woman was paying for their drinks now, blissfully unaware of the sneaky goings-on that Bucky had participated in. It was very true that Natasha had been needing this time out for a while now, but pairing her up with a guy who, in all likelihood wasn't her soul mate couldn't do anything helpful.

 

After the discussion Wanda and Pepper had with Nat earlier, they had realised that their friend wouldn't be happy with any kind of pity dates and the three women had made an agreement never to push Natasha into an arrangement of that nature.

 

Yet, here Wanda was, betraying that promise to her friend because her boyfriend thought that Natasha needed to have 'fun'. Wanda turned to look at Bucky, eyebrow raised. "And is that what you call those girls you used to hang around all the time before we met? Just friends and that's all?"

 

The nervous look on his face proved her point. Bucky grabbed her hand and held it to his heart. "C'mon, doll. You know I never loved any of those girls. They meant nothing to me."

 

"Mm-hm, but you still slept with some of them, didn't you?"

 

A look of guilt flashed on his face. "...yes. But this is different-"

 

"No, it isn't different. Bucky," interrupted Wanda. She pulled her hand out of his grip. "This is just as bad. By inviting Steve to hang out with us, you've potentially exposed Natasha to getting her heart broken. What if she ends up liking this guy? What if she spend more time with him and falls in love with him, but he isn't her soul mate? What then? Don't you realize that she's better off alone than to be pushed into a possible romantic situation with this guy who is not the _one_?"

 

Before Bucky could respond, Natasha came over to them. "Hey, guys. I got the drinks. You ready to go inside and grab a few seats?" The smile on her face started to dim when she saw the looks on their faces. "Um...is everything alright?"

 

"Bucky used this movie as a way to set you up on a blind date."

 

Bucky groaned and covered his face with his hand. "Wanda, that's **not** what this is." Then he turned to Natasha. "I promise you, that is not what this is. I just invited my friend to come and join us tonight. I wasn't trying to set you up, I swear."

 

Natasha wrinkled her brow and looked from Bucky to Wanda and back again. For a few moments, she was silent. Then she spoke up. "That's cool."

 

Both Bucky and Wanda stared at her in shock as if they expected a more...violent outburst.

 

"Nat...are you sure?"

 

"Oh, yeah. Wanda, it's no big deal. Like Bucky said, he wasn't trying to set me up, and I would end up feeling like a third wheel being with the two of you. After all, you do have a tendency to make out in theatres. Inviting someone else to come was a good idea, Bucky. Thanks." Natasha smiled at him kindly.

 

Bucky nodded and took the cup she handed to him. "Uh, any time."

 

"Let's go, then." The redhead walked forward to the room where Godzilla was viewing with Wanda and Bucky following suit, watching her in mild astonishment.

 

"I can't believe she's not pissed," Bucky said as they entered the room. "I was expecting a big blowout, but she responded so politely and was accepting of it...what a turn on."

 

Wanda smacked him on the arm.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Shortly after the lights dimmed and the movie began to start, a masculine voice spoke. "Bucky, is that you?"

 

Wanda, Bucky and Natasha all turned their faces to see who was speaking. Since the lights had just been dimmed, it was hard to tell who it was standing before them. All they could see was the guy's silhouette.

 

"Steve? Hey, man. Sit down. The movie just started." Both men grasped each other's hands briefly. Bucky motioned to the seat on the other side of where Natasha was sitting. "That's Natasha down there." They had left a space open for him to sit next to her since Steve had been invited for her sake.

 

"Hi, Steve," whispered Wanda, giving him a wave.

 

"Hey, Wanda," he whispered back.

 

The man quickly moved to the seat next to Natasha's and sat in it. "You're Natasha? I'm Steve. It's nice to meet you."

 

Natasha smiled up at him, even though she couldn't see him. "Same here. Do you want some nachos?" She held out her plastic bowl to him.

 

"Are you kidding? Yes. I _love_ nachos. I always load peppers on mine when I make them at home." Steve took a couple of the and dipped them in the cheese sauce.

 

Interesting. "Wow. You make your own nachos?"

 

"Oh, yeah. Even if it's just making up a snack, I'd rather make it than buy it. There's nothing like food made from scratch, you know?"

 

"Really? Well, you must be a one of a kind man, Steve. I don't know many men who like to cook. Are you a chef or something?"

 

"Oh, no. Cooking is one of my favourite hobbies, but I'm no chef. My best talent lies in drawing and painting. I'm an artist."

 

Natasha raised her eyebrows and she couldn't help feeling impressed by that. A man who was an artist **and** he could cook? That was a rarity of which she'd rarely heard. "That's awesome. I've never met an artist before. Do you do commissions or do you sell your paintings to an art gallery?"

 

"Both, actually."

 

The movie began to play, but Steve and Natasha didn't even notice it. Something just clicked from the moment they first spoke and they both had decided to get to know each other better, regardless of the movie that was playing.

 

 

* * *

 

 

"So you met Bucky after getting beat up by a bully?"

 

Steve and Natasha had relocated to a higher pair of seats that were in a corner, so they didn't have to be so close to the screen and hear the sound as much. The area they found was more secluded and they could speak a bit more loudly than a whisper now.

 

"Yeah. I was eleven years old. He intervened when he saw how the guy had me on the ground. He got a few kicks in, but Bucky wiped the floor with him after that. It didn't take long for people to get the clue that I was off limits."

 

Natasha took a sip of her soda and shook her head. "I just can't believe that **you** were beat up as a kid. That doesn't seem possible."

 

"I know, I seem like the kind of guy who probably ran from bullies when I was small, but I was pretty much the opposite. Every time someone picked on me, I'd get in their face and challenge them. I was the smallest boy in my class and forever getting my ass kicked until Bucky showed up and made himself my unofficial protector. Nobody messed with me when he was around."

 

An explosion took Natasha's attention away momentarily, but she soon looked back at Steve again, ignoring the film that was playing. He was far more worth spending her time on.

 

Cupping her chin in her hand, she replied, "But somewhere along the way, you filled out and started standing up for yourself. Right?"

 

Steve smiled and thanks to the brief light from the film, she could see it. He had a very nice smile. "Yes. That's right. I started working out, joined the Army and started fighting my own battles. Hell, sometimes I'd fight off bullies or jerks I saw who were picking on people smaller than them. Bucky told me that I should be a lawyer since I have the whole defender of the helpless act down."

 

"Defender of the helpless, huh? I like that."

 

"I had a feeling you would."

 

 

* * *

 

 

Natasha put her feet up on the back of the chair in front of her. "One of my dreams is to become a prima ballerina before I'm thirty."

 

"Well, from what you've told me so far, I think that's very possible. How old are you now, if you don't mind my asking?"

 

"I'm twenty-six," she replied with a rueful grin. "I know that's kind of pushing it, but they've been using me a lot more in the performances. I was the understudy for the last prima ballerina in our production of the Nutcracker. I almost got the part, too."

 

Steve took a sip of his soda and raised his eyebrows. "Wow, really? What happened?"

 

"She caught a bug and was out for a couple of days, so I'd begun filling in for her during practices. Then, on the last day before the production, there she was, all healthy and not a bit sick. Gave me a mean stink eye when I showed up, so I think someone was telling her that I was eager to take her place. She's one of those ballerinas who hates anyone hogging her spotlight."

 

"Got it. Self-absorbed and stuck up. I can't say that I'm a fan of people like that. I know someone who is almost exactly like that. His name is Tony Stark."

 

"Whoa. Tony Stark? As in the head of Stark Industries? You know him?"

 

"Guilty, and yeah, he may own a major business, but if you knew the things I knew about him, you could probably write a pretty hilarious book."

 

Words like that were too tempting. Natasha nudged Steve with her arm. "Okay, there's no way you can just say something like that and not deliver. Spill the beans, Rogers."

 

 

* * *

 

 

By the time Godzilla was over - not that either of them had spent any amount of time watching the film because they were too preoccupied with each other - Steve and Natasha had agreed to hang out again and go out to eat. As friends, of course.

 

In all honesty, though, Natasha had never met a man who she was so comfortable talking to. Although, it was true that her search for her soul mate caused her to have less relationships with men for fear that she's forge a connection that was too strong. The last thing she'd need was to get close to a man who wasn't her soul mate.

 

Still...with Steve, it was different. She couldn't help feeling drawn to him, regardless of her earlier treatment of men she didn't know well. By the end of the film, Natasha and Steve would both say that they felt as if they were meant to meet. Yes, if Bucky hadn't asked him, Steve wouldn't have come to the movie, but there was something very strong between the two of them. Natasha couldn't put her finger on it, but somehow, she knew that it was important.

 

They were walking down the stairs of the theatre room when Natasha tripped and almost fell. Luckily, Steve caught her and pulled her up. "You okay?" He asked, sounding a bit concerned.

 

"Ah, yeah. Thank you. I could have really hurt myself." She looked up at him and smiled, but she couldn't see his face because the end credits were still going and the lights were still dimmed. Natasha didn't know why, but there was a strange tingling sensation on her arm, where Steve had touched her when he stopped her fall. She sighed once they reached the door. Now she'd be able to get a good look at him.

 

Walking out of the dark screening room, Natasha blinked a few times to get her eyes re-adjusted to the light. Wanda and Bucky were already waiting for them, amused looks on their faces.

 

"And here, we thought you two were never going to come out of there," Bucky said with a smirk.

 

Natasha felt her cheeks heat up and cursed inwardly for her body's girly reaction. It wasn't a big deal or anything. They'd just gotten carried away with their conversation that they failed to notice everyone in the room had left already.

 

Steve came up beside Natasha and said in an amused tone, "Shut up, jerk. At least we were just talking. You and Wanda couldn't even keep your hands off each other the whole movie." Then, he turned to her. "Don't mind him. He loves to say stuff like this any time he gets a chance."

 

"Oh, it's alright. I'm used to it by now." Natasha grinned. Well. So this was what he looked like. From the strength of his jaw and the curve of his lips, to the blonde in his hair and the sparkle in his eye, Natasha knew she wouldn't mind looking at him. Steve Rogers had the whole all-American vibe going on.

 

Their eyes locked and she held up her hand to shake his. "Nice to finally see you, Steve," she said.

 

He took it her hand and replied, "Same here, Natasha."

 

Oddly, they both felt a tug inside when their skin touched. It was just like earlier when Natasha had almost fallen and Steve held her up. The smiles on their faces were gone in an instant and confusion riddled their expressions.

 

"Natasha...? Have we met before," Steve asked her slowly, as if he were trying to figure out where he knew her from.

 

"No, I'm pretty sure I would have remembered you, Steve..." she replied.

 

Neither moved their hand away from each other for fear of losing this feeling. It was bizarre, but Natasha felt her stomach clench up and her heart started to pound. The reverberations were so fierce that she was sure her neck was pulsing hard.

 

It made no sense, but for some reason, those dreams she had every night came back to her. The nimble fingers that gripped her backside with such passion, the strong legs that nudged at her core, the sinful lips that kissed her own, the images were running together in her mind like a film.

 

That blurry face which belonged her soul mate in every one of those delicious dreams. The face that haunted her for years because she couldn't stop wondering and obsessing to know who it belonged to, was slowly revealing itself. Lights shifted and the grey began to lift, bringing something foreign to her sight.

 

The redhead had no words for what was taking place right then and there. The back of her eyes started feeling weird, like someone was squeezing them tightly. She groaned and covered her face, rubbing her hands on her eyelids. "God, ah!"

 

"Natasha, are you okay? What-ow!" Steve had begun to feel the same sensation in his eyes and bent over in pain. He blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend what was happening. The grey in his vision started slipping away from him and there was something warm and bright replacing it. "What is this?" He touched the sides of his head, unsure of what was going on.

 

Wanda and Bucky knew because the same thing happened to them when they first met two years ago. Steve and Natasha were soul mates and the grey in their vision was receding and being replaced with colour. For some, the change was painful and that was, no doubt the way it was for their friends.

 

Pain lasted for a few moments longer, then there was nothing. Natasha uncovered her eyes and opened them, gasping as she saw such a difference in the building that wasn't present when she first came in. Many oddly coloured hues filled her vision and she realised what had just happened.

 

Steve was the man she dreamed about every night.

 

He was her _soul mate._

 

Natasha's eyes were as wide as saucers and she began to spin around, taking in all of the colours in her vision. These were the things she'd learned about from her parents, but had never seen herself. Now, she could finally see those shades and hues that she'd hoped of seeing since she was a little girl.

 

Her eyes locked on to Steve again. His face was full of awe, just like hers and they moved closer, the shock beginning to wear off. Natasha touched Steve's hair and she smiled. "This is...blond, isn't it?"

 

"Yeah, that's what my mom always told me." He looked her over carefully and she shivered under his careful gaze. It was difficult to keep from throwing herself into his arms and bursting into tears at this moment, but she managed.

 

Steve's hand touched her cheek lightly and moved his fingers up to her hair. He stroked the curls tenderly and she sighed, enjoying the feel of his skin on hers.

 

"Your hair is so dark. It's red, right? You're a redhead?"

 

"Yes, I'm a redhead. I have been for all of my life."

 

The pair just stood there, admiring each other's features, getting used to the way they looked. Natasha covered Steve's hand with hers and held it tightly as if she were afraid to let go. "It's really you. You're the man I've been dreaming about for so long."

 

Surprise made it's way onto Steve's face and he caressed her other cheek with his free hand. "Yes...and I dreamed about you, Natasha. There were times I thought I'd go crazy if I didn't meet you soon. You always made me so desperate to have you and now you're finally here in my arms." He pulled her to him and embraced her.

 

Natasha didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around her soul mate - thank God she could finally say that now - and buried her head in his chest. "I hardly even know what to feel. I'm just so... _overwhelmed_."

 

This was so unbelievable, like something out of a fairy tale. The mantra kept repeating itself over and over again in her head. _I found my soul mate, I found my soul mate, I found my soul mate._ She felt like a little child at Christmas, filled with joy that every gift she'd unwrapped had been the very ones she wanted.

 

Steve chuckled and the sound filled Natasha with excitement. There was so much she wanted to say, so many things she wanted to hear from him, but for right now, she would be content to just stay in his arms for a while.

 

A chime from Natasha's phone brought them out of their reverie. "Bad timing, much?" She murmured and gave Steve a rueful grin. "Gimme a second." She took her phone out of her jean pocket and unlocked it so she could read the text. It was a single message from Wanda.

 

_Bucky and I decided to leave the two of you alone since you obviously need time to yourselves. I'm so happy for you, Natasha! Aren't you glad that you stopped looking for your soul mate? If you hadn't, you could have missed meeting Steve tonight! Let me know how everything goes. I don't want you home until midnight at the latest! Or, better yet, don't come home at all. Stay with him, Nat. You deserve it._

 

Natasha laughed after reading the text from her friend and put her phone in her back pocket again. 

 

"Who was it?"

 

"Wanda. She and Bucky left when they realized what was happening. They wanted to give us a moment alone."

 

"That was nice of them, but I didn't even notice they were gone," Steve said, his hand reaching for hers and grasping it. There was a look in his eyes that gave her chills.

 

"Yes, neither did I-"

 

Natasha wasn't able to finish her sentence because Steve tugged her body closer and pressed his lips to her passionately. She widened her eyes, surprised by his action, but the surprise quickly gave away to desire. Her eyes closed and she lifted her arms to wrap around his neck, fingers running through his hair.

 

Steve, in turn, grasped her hips and squeezed her flesh, brushing his thumbs under her shirt. He'd waited so long for her and **now** that he had her, there was no way he would let her go. With every kiss and every touch, he made her understand the depths of his yearning for her, and so she did for him.

 

With a moan, Natasha pulled back to catch her breath, gasping in air. So did Steve, but there was a very sultry gaze on his features that left nothing to the imagination. It was obvious that he wanted her, and she'd be lying if she said she didn't feel the same. Once their breathing got under control, he began to tug her to him again for another kiss, but she stopped him. Natasha place a hand in front of his lips and shook her head.

 

"Wait. Let's take this somewhere else, okay? I don't want to make out in the theater. It's public. Too many people are here. I want to be with just you and nobody else." She traced his lips with her forefinger and he kissed the digit lovingly.

 

"Yes, ma'am," he said and picked her up in his arms.

 

Natasha squealed and held on to his neck. "Steve, what are you doing?" Her heart began to pound again and she let loose a tiny giggle.

 

"I'm doing what I promised myself I'd do for you when we met. I'm holding my future in my arms and taking her away to our destiny." He gave her another heated kiss and she sighed into it, letting him keep her close.

 

When they left the theater, Steve kept her in his arms and walked to his car. "I know it's already past eight, but I want to take you home with me."

 

The earnesty in his voice made Natasha tremble. Even though she wanted him badly with all her heart, she was afraid of moving too fast. "I-I don't know, Steve..."

 

"We don't have to make love if you don't want to, Nat. I just don't want to let this night go without holding you close to me for a few more hours. You can spend the night. I have an extra toothbrush and you can sleep in one of my t shirts. You're so tiny that I'm sure they'll fit you. Please." The pleading in his voice wasn't something within her power to resist. She blushed, pleased that she elicited such passion from him.

 

By this time, they reached his car and he still held her in his arms. The emotions that ran through Natasha were so strong that it was hard to keep herself together and answer him. Tentatively, she said, "I...guess I can do that." She framed his face in her hands and continued. "One of the things I've wanted to do more than anything is to make love to you, Steve, but even _more_ than that, I...I want to wake up next to you and see your face in the morning and at night for the rest of my life."

 

Tears ran down both of their cheeks and Steve smiled, brushing her cheek with his fingers. "I want that too. After all of those amazing dreams, and so many prayers at night, hoping you'd come to me, and now you're in my arms and you're **real**." His expression changed from glee to tender determination. He touched her chin, the warm skin soothing her like a cooling balm. "I love you, Nat."

 

Natasha's body began to shake and she parted her lips in surprise. He said it! He said it, and what's more, she _knew_ he meant it. How could he not? They were soul mates. Their very hearts were bound to each other for all of eternity, but their bond was stronger than she ever would have believed to be possible. "Oh, God. Steve, I...I love you, too. So very much..."

 

Steve kissed her forehead again and whispered, "Then I'm not alone anymore."

 

"No. You'll never be alone again. Neither of us will." She cradled his head with her hands and pulled him back into her embrace. The two lovers held each other tightly, knowing that they would never let go for as long as they lived.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Wow. This is the longest one-shot I've ever written. I hope you guys enjoyed it.❤️


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